Clueless yet Wise
by Watson Baker
Summary: Merry Christmas! This is a gift for sapphireswimming and dedicated to her! After Danny runs away, he meets one person that switches his whole world around. Contains an OC and has meaningful words! Enjoy!
1. Meeting

Merry Christmas Sapphireswimming! This story is dedicated to her as a christmas present! Best of wishes and lots of huggles! Enjoy!

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><p>The wind buffeted my face as I flew by the large mountains that held many houses. Cars were backed up on long highways, and clouds with different shades of grey rolled down the hills and spilled into the hollowed out areas of the land. I was tired of flying. My brown backpack had grown empty from the long trip, and my arms felt as heavy as led.<p>

Oh, for those of you who don't know me, I'm Danny Fenton aka Danny Phantom. When I'm a human, I have black hair and sky blue eyes. When I'm a ghost, I have white hair and green eyes. It's a little complicated. How did I become a ghost? This will explain:

_(Danny Phantom)_

_(He's a Phantom, Phantom)_

_Yo Danny Fenton he was just fourteen when his parents built a really strange machine. It was designed to view a world unseen._

_(He's going to catch them all cause he's Danny Phantom.)_

_When it didn't quite work his folks they just quit, then Danny took a look inside of it. There was a great big flash, everything just changed, his molecules got all rearranged_

_(Phantom, Phantom)_

_When he first woke up he had realized he had snow white hair and glowing green eyes.  
>He could walk through walls, disappear and fly. He was much more unique then the other guys. And it was then Danny knew what he had to do. He had to stop all the ghosts that were coming through.<br>He's here to fight for me and you!_

_(He's gonna catch them all cuz he's Danny Phantom, gonna catch them all  
>cuz he's Danny Phantom, gonna catch them all cuz he's…)<em>

_(Danny Phantom)_

Pretty cool song? Now I'll explain why I'm flying who-knows-where in the United States. I'm on the run. Not just from those Guys in White who are me for being a criminal. Not just to get away from that fruitloop Vlad Plasmius.

I ran away from everyone. Sam, Tucker, Jazz, my parents, school… basically it's everyone in Amity Park. I ran away from home. I can't explain why at the moment, but until the day there are answers, I'll have to keep you guys in the dark… because I don't even know why I ran away.

XXX

Eventually I found a place to land. Flying to the back of a small one story house, I changed into my human form.

That was a problem… because the air here was extremely cold and I didn't have anything but the clothes on my back. After I walked casually as I could, I found a bench to rest on that faced the highway. I didn't care if I looked homeless. I needed a place to rest, and that bench was the closest thing to dry and comfortable.

I sat down and pulled out a note pad and a pen from the backpack to write down my surroundings.

The driveways were worn down and cracked in some places, and the frosting evening air made the small neighborhood look dreary. People rushed by without noticing me. Long pants, thick winter jackets, and an occasional woman with a plain scarf hinted to me that it was probably mid-October.

I clutched my black pen tightly as the cold slowly stole the feeling from my fingers and continued to write. The houses were normal like the one I transformed behind with very little or no front yard. I didn't see any room for front lawns anyways. Most of the territory here seemed to be all concrete with many mountains and water sources.

Suddenly the cold started to get to me faster. My jeans kept my legs warm, but my short red and white tee-shirt left my arms bare and exposed. I clutched my arms as and brought up my knees to keep whatever body heat I had left.

Everyone passed by, ignoring me. That's how it had always been, with normal human Danny Fenton invisible to the world unless he had negative colored hair and eyes and dressed in a skintight suit while flying around all heroic like superman. I was a no body unless I changed my name and acted noble.

Closing my eyes, I wallowed in my thoughts of self pity.

XXX

A warm hand touched my shoulder, stopping my train of thought and bringing me back to earth.

I slowly looked up to see who had touched me. I had expected a grown up or a police officer to take me in for questions because I was acting all homeless. Instead I met curious chocolate brown drooping eyes that stared at me with concern and caution. The teenage girl was a light tan with dark brown hair falling to her shoulders. She had on light blue jeans and black tennis shoes with a dark purple jacket. A light purple hair band sat in her hair, and a golden charm bracelet with silver hearts rested on her right wrist.

"Are you okay?" she asked hesitantly, like I would run away.

"J-just cold…" I replied, my teeth chattering slightly.

I didn't know what to say, mainly because I didn't expect another person to ask me if I was okay. I was a stranger and who knows how dangerous. She didn't seem to think that as she gave me an 'I-don't-think-your-okay' look.

"You're going to die if you stay out here in the cold like this!" she scolded.

"You care?" I asked, trying to ignore her again. She was a stranger… an outsider. She couldn't know anything.

"Of course I care! Come on, I'll get you something to wear over those clothes with my allowance," she said quickly.

Grabbing my hand and dragging me up and away from the bench with surprising strength, she led me into a small clothing store down the block and bought a jacket for me before I could blink. After she paid, she ran out of the store with me following willingly behind her. When we arrived back at my bench, we were both panting hard, letting our breath fog up the air around us.

"Why… did… we… run…" I gasped.

"My… mom's… going to pick… me up here," she explained, and then added, "Try it on!"

I slipped on the jacket and nearly laughed at the color scheme. The cuffs and neck piece were white while the rest of the fuzzy jacket was a pitch black. I zipped it up and looked at her with an eyebrow raised. "Have you ever seen a ghost, like on television or in the news?"

She put her hand thoughtfully to her face and tapped her pointer finger, trying to recall anything familiar. "Ghostbusters… and that's about it."

She had never heard of Danny Phantom, or any of the ghosts in Amity Park. That was good for me, but I wasn't too sure if I could trust her yet. She was odd… and a little weird and unpredictable, but she was kind enough to help me.

A giant red van soon pulled up to the bench, the driver giving a playful honk that brought me back. "I have to go," she said regretfully.

As she jumped into the passenger seat, she threw me a walkie-talkie and gave me a wink. "Want to go to the pier tomorrow with me? I'm free for the weekend."

Well, I had to explore the area, so why not get a guild who knew the place. "Sure… by the way, I'm Danny."

"I'm Avilia!"

As the van drove off, I caught a glimpse of the license plate. California, the golden state. Things looked pretty grey here though… except for Avilia.

XXX

Avilia shifter in her car seat and looked at her mom. "Mama, can I show a friend around at the pier tomorrow?"

"Sure honey," she said with excitement, letting her blonde bangs fall forward a tad. "You guys can even go on the tour boat and I'll pay!"

"Mom! It's not a date or anything!" Avilia screamed.

"Whatever you say…" her mom sighed as they drove home.

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><p>Anyone else like the beginning? Here is a poem piece that will be revealed little by little...<p>

_For the roads are long and the rivers wide, I see the smile you choose to hide,_

_Beyond the fears of discovery, I want to help your recovery..._


	2. Penguins

Part 2: Enjoy!

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><p>Hiding out in the same neighborhood for so long with no real shelter (hiding invisible in someone's house isn't very comfortable) could have been unbearable, but as the next day arrived, I found myself staring at the walkie-talkie that Avilia gave me. I stopped pacing the bench and sat down, tucking my hands inside the white laced pockets.<p>

The device soon beeped and a small voice could be heard. "Danny? Can you hear me? Mom's going to bring us to the Monterey Bay Aquarium instead because of the bad weather."

"That's fine," I replied back.

Shortly after, the van pulled up and I jumped into the back. I took a seat next to Avilia and buckled up, remembering my mom scolding me about safety before I ran away.

"You both buckled?" her mom asked, looking back at us with her aqua eyes sparkling with amusement.

"Just drive mother…"

XXX

I never thought much about aquariums, me wanting to be an astronaut and all that, but the experience was actually fun. Avilia would squeal with excitement as we watched the sharks and other fish swim over our heads, and I would watch her while feeling a bit envious. She had a great life. She wasn't someone laced with burden like I was. She wasn't a freak who had too much attention. I didn't mean to be rude to her, but she was free. I would never be as free as her.

As we headed up the stone steps to the penguins, I tried to start a conversation with her. "So… why does your mom look nothing like you?"

"Oh, my sister got my mother's red hair gene and pale skin, and I got my dad's hair and tan skin. My dad is Chinese and my mother is Italian. What about you? I don't think you're with your parents though."

Man she's sharp… I must have visibly gulped at her statement, but I answered her question anyways. "Some here with my sister getting my mom's side. I look more like my dad… and to confirm your suspicions, I ran away from home."

I didn't know why I was so open to her, but it felt like she was listening with all her heart. Who was she to try and understand me so well? What she said next made me crack a big smile.

"That's cool. Your reasons are your reasons. I won't pry unless you truly want me to know… Oh look, penguins!"

She ran ahead of me to watch the flightless birds and I followed, wondering how she could be such an accepting person with a short attention span.

XXX

Near the end of the day, Avilia and I walked to the wooden look-out deck. The wind blew our hair back as we hung our arms over the fence, not bothering with the twenty-five cent binocular stands as we gazed out at the choppy water.

"So… what's on your mind?" Avilia asked to break the silence.

No one was around because of the harsh windy weather, so we were free to speak our minds. "I don't know how you can be so carefree with a stranger like me! Yes I'm a teenager, but you know nothing about me or my life, and for all you know I can be keeping secrets from you that could cost you your life! I'm not even giving you straight answers!"

I pushed my right arm out dramatically in front of me to show how confused and frustrated I was.

Avilia only sighed and looked out at the water, her brown eyes calm. "Let me just say that secrets are confusing. People have personal matters, and some have information. Some people even keep secrets to protect their friends, family, or themselves. No matter what kind of secret you have, I respect the boundaries you've drawn. But I'll only say that keeping secrets means there is mistrust and doubt. It would take a long time to explain, but I assume you doubt telling me whatever secret you have."

I stared at Avilia like she had grown two heads and transformed into the Box Ghost. "How old are you?" I questioned.

"Fifteen… why?"

"No reason… so… what would you say if… what I mean is… what is your insight on death?" It was a hard and impossible question to ask. Not only did she not know about ghosts, she isn't in my position. I was asking too much of her.

This was one of the reasons I ran away. Secrets was one reason, death was another. I didn't know who I was anymore. When everyone in Amity Park learned my secret, they couldn't decide if I was dead or alive. It didn't matter that I was protecting the town. One day I would go to school with a happy smile, and everyone would give me hard stares. The next day after I defeat a ghost, everyone praises me and treats me like a hero. I wanted answers about myself, but no one had the answer.

Avilia stopped staring at the sea and turned to face me. "I don't know why you're asking that, but I'll try to answer. Um… I think death is a part of our mystery. By mystery I mean our lives… souls… well you know what I mean. We wonder about things like that at any point of our lives. I'm Christian, so I believe in heaven, purgatory and hell. Our souls go somewhere when we die. No matter where we go when we lose our bodies here, that person will stay the same. No one can erase who they are. As an example, you would be you no matter where you go. Some religions say you are truly alive when you're dead, but I'm not sure on that whole concept. Our lives will never change when we die, because we have our experiences, emotions, and characteristics others will never be able to copy. I'm not afraid of death, and I've always known that I am me, and no one can take that away from me."

What she had said to me made my head spin. This was what no one at home believed. This was what I wasn't sure to believe. I was Danny as either Fenton or Phantom. How could I have been so blind! I must be clueless…

"Are you afraid of death?" Avilia asked me as she turned back to the water.

If only she knew I was afraid of my Phantom self… well I'm less afraid than before, but I was still unsure of myself. Tons of people had asked me 'what is it like to be a ghost?' and 'it must be tough being dead,' and 'what makes you different from us?' or if they don't know my secret, 'you must be afraid.' It was a refresher for me.

"I'm not exactly afraid of death. Let's just say I've already experienced what it's like to die."

"Like a near death experience?" she questioned, fully interested in what I had to say.

"Sort of. It taught me a lot of things that I wouldn't have learned if it hadn't of happened. When that incident happened, I thought it was a curse… then a blessing… then a curse again. No one looked at me like I was me anymore. There was the old Danny and the new-improved Danny. No one ever paid attention to my (human) abilities, and I felt like I was playing someone else's character."

Avilia sighed and put an arm around my shoulders. "The whole world is acting. It's not just you… you know? It's rare to find someone who truly acts like themselves. Most people aren't even aware of their own qualities. Some times it's good to explore yourself and come to terms with who you are. I used to wonder who I was. I think you believe your acting, when it's just another new side of you. You didn't change; you just learned more about yourself. It doesn't matter what other people think as long as you have confidence in yourself. You don't have to be a part of the crowd, because everyone is different. This is all common knowledge just to let you know, but it all comes down to what you believe."

What I believe… not others… "I think I'm me… and not separate…" I stated.

I remembered parts of my life before I started my journey. When Ember and Youngblood kidnapped everyone's parents, I lead the rescue team, not Phantom. When Walker imprisoned me, I devised a plan to break out, not someone else. When I fought my first ghost, I chose to use my powers to help others not because that was expected of me, but because I wanted to choose that path as Danny Fenton. My powers were only my powers, and not a different me. My powers were part of me. What I thought were Phantom's characteristics of bravery and cockiness were really my own.

At this revelation I have Avilia a bone crushing hug, making her jump slightly at the sudden movement. I had no doubts about myself and other people anymore. I can face myself with a smile. I can go home.

"W-what's the hug for?" she asked when I refused to let her get free.

I finally let her go and put all my feeling into two words as I stared into her mysterious eyes. "For everything."

* * *

><p><em>When the wind uncovers the truth of the heart, we see our faults to the start,<em>

_into the wild unknown space, and unearth the growing race..._

Until then,

Chow!


	3. Docks

Part 3: Enjoy!

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><p>Sunday arrived, and I planned to go home on Monday by using a short cut through a natural portal after Avilia brought me to the pier. I owed her a lot for clearing up my thoughts about myself. Man I'm really clueless!<p>

Amazingly, the jacket Avilia gave me had inverted in color when I turned into my ghost half. I flew to the location Avilia pointed out for me on our way back to 'my neighborhood,' and phased into a restraint bathroom stall. I turned back into my human form and walked out to the docks, ignoring the stares I was receiving from other people who had noticed I hadn't gone into the restraint to begin with. People here seemed smarter than everyone else in my home town.

Soon I saw Avilia run towards me as I exited the restaurant. She had on the same attire as yesterday, but she had added a dark blue scarf, a purple studded butterfly clip in her hair, and small pearl earrings in her ears. One startling feature was that she had on brown streaked small oval glasses.

"Sorry I'm late! I had to pick up my glasses. They broke last week."

Ah… that explained it. "Don't worry about it. Where are we going?"

"The docks! I got us tickets to a tour boat that will take us under the Golden Gate bridge and right next to Alcatraz Island!" she squealed while jumping up and down.

It was hard to believe that this teenager could be so wise, but really childish at times. These two short days had given me time to learn about her, and have her learn about me.

She grabbed my hand and pulled me along to the boat, making sure we got the top deck view. The cold wind didn't seem to bother her as we stepped next to the iron railings.

"I have a camera! Let's get a picture together! Please?"

I agreed, and we called a lady over to take a picture. Avilia draped her arm over my shoulders and I did the same as the camera snapped. It was a small silver digital camera, so the picture review was small, but I could see what we looked like.

My hair was in motion because of the strong wind, and my eyes were brighter than I had ever seen them. Realizing things about who you are can do that to you. Avilia stood next to me, her brown eyes hinted with some darker emotions, and her shoulders a little tense like she had the world on her shoulders. It was a shot in the dark, but I believe that Avilia was clueless about herself as much as I was.

Before I could ask her what was wrong, the captain announced that the tour would begin, and we sailed off.

XXX

Throughout the tour, we was walruses laying out on wooden planks, and throughout the trip towards the Golden Gate Bridge, my mind went through many times that people had tried to hinder me and destroy me.

Spectra appeared in my mind first. Her black figure hovered over me as she fed off my misery in the storage area at my school. _"What are you? A ghost trying to fit in with humans, or are you just some creepy little kid with creepy little powers?" "You're a freak! Not a ghost, not a boy! Who cares for a thing like you?"_

Then Poindexter came into my mind from the time he found out I was the ghost boy. _"Y-You're the halfa!" "And you're using your powers for evil?"_

Then I thought of the time I was saving everyone's parents from Ember and Youngblood while fighting alongside my school bully Dash. _"Your one brave geek Fenton. When I'm wailing on you tomorrow, I'll be wailing on a hero. But I will be wailing on you."_

All the times they saw me saving the town as Phantom or Fenton, it was never for two separate people. All the times the town had seen me as a hero, them a villain, then a hero again, I never thought about who was earning the credit. My friends believed in both parts of me… scratch that, all of me; my parents who love me no matter what. I thought about Avilia's words on secrets. Maybe I was afraid. I had doubt and I let things go on as a lie for too long. It hurt me and others around me.

"Danny?"

I can't let that happen again I'll set everything right. I'll…

"DANNY!"

I jumped and faced an annoyed Avilia who had her hands at her hips like a diva. "I was trying to get your attention! You missed the bridge! Don't miss the island!"

I apologized quietly and continued to gaze out at the water, only to have a large structure block my view. I looked up and stared at the walls of the prison known as Alcatraz Island. It had dirt covered stone walls and small iron barred windows. It reminded me of Walker's jail, only more manmade and not purple.

A grown man stepped out from the crowd of tourists and tapped me on the shoulder with a worried expression. "Excuse me young man, can you stop exhaling so hard that we can see your breath. Other people are trying to enjoy this trip."

My whole body went stiff as I looked around nervously. It could have been the weather, but I learned from my last encounter (in Canada) that I could be wrong. If a random stranger could see my breath as distracting, it was probably my ghost sense.

I seemed to be too late as I watched a shimmer of air push Avilia off the railing. I bolted after her, ignoring the man trying to grab me. He had my arm, so I turned intangible in my state of panic and slipped through his grip. The shocked man fell back shocked, and other people screamed as I dove over the railing and into the water.

As I broke to the top of the water, I was the boat speed off with alarms going off.

"Avilia!" I yelled over the choppy water.

I feared the worst, and then I heard a faint voice call over the roar of the waves and wind from the island. I put all my energy into swimming towards the closest dock and reached for the rotting wood that fell apart at my touch, but a hand grabbed my wrist and hauled me on the more sturdy parts of the board before I could go ghost and fly out.

Looking up, I was a drenched but smiling Avilia with her scarf missing, her glasses wet, and her hair falling forwards with the water making her hair darker and heavy. I probably looked just as wet with my bangs plastered to my face.

"How did you…" I started to ask, but I was cut off.

"I'm a swimmer. When I was little, I placed first in freestyle… what just happened?" she asked as she attempted to dry her glasses off with her clothing.

I got up and tried to wring out my jacket while I answered back. "Someone pushed you over. I didn't see who though." Technically it was a ghost, but I couldn't tell her yet unless our lives depended on it.

Avilia turned around and looked up at the stone buildings and inched closer to me in fear. "We're on Alcatraz Island… if we can't get a boat or get help, we're stuck here…"

I grabbed her hand and led her to the door leading inside the ominous structure.

"I'm not really sure about this, but I think whoever pushed you is hiding in here."

I could tell she had a lot of questions, but she only nodded timidly as I forced the door open with my foot and led us inside.

* * *

><p><em>When all seems calm in the sea, there will never be any garrantee,<em>

_your answered questions fly, but you dive out of the sky..._

Until next time,

Chow!


	4. Adventure

Part 4: Enjoy!

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><p>The natural light flooded through the barred windows, and the stone cold walls and rusty cell doors made us shiver. I looked over at Avilia and her trembling form with anger building up inside me. If we couldn't get out of here, I would fly us out. I really didn't care if she knew my secret now. After this was over, she deserved to know. No more secrets, no more fear and doubt, and no more lies.<p>

Soon we came into a large room with a desk and chair in the middle like a reception desk. In the chair with his feet kicked up was a man… a grey man with tattered clothing and red eyes. He was a ghost.

Avilia seemed oblivious as she broke off from my hand and walked up to the guy. "Excuse us. We seem to be stranded. Can you get us a phone or a spare boat?"

I face palmed despite the panic I felt. If the ghost found out who I was, I was in trouble.

The ghost narrowed its eyes and got up from his chair, moving around the desk and walking towards her. Avilia started to notice that the guy didn't look right, and started backing up from the stranger.

"I'm afraid you guys aren't leaving soon. You will be our new prisoners."

"W-what are y-you?" she stuttered, fear blossoming her face as she realized the guy was see-through.

"I'm dead," he stated, and then lunged for her.

I had no time to think. Using my fast reflexes, I jumped in front of her and summoned a shield around us. The ghost bounced off and landed on the ground, only to have more like him become visible and collectively smash the shield with their fists.

"You believe in ghosts?" I asked Avilia as I kept my energy flowing into my hands and out to the shield.

She only looked at me and gave me a small smile. "Keeping some secrets I see… no matter what, you keep surprising me. You're impossible."

I don't know how she could joke at a time like this, but I couldn't think about that now as my shield started cracking.

Suddenly, the leader (I assumed he was) raised his hands and the attacks ceased. The ghosts floated in place with sharp nails and eyes vacant of any humanity. The leader got up and gave us a look of pure hatred.

"That's impossible!" he bellowed.

I dropped the shield and closed my hand tight around Avilia's, getting ready to test my new found faith in myself and the words she had told me. No more secrets. It was time for Danny to take the spotlight: Phantom and Fenton.

"I'll show you something else that's impossible. I'm going ghost!"

I let the rings change me, and after that happened, I let my free hand collect ectoplasm to show I wouldn't go down without a fight. Avilia gasped and the other ghosts hissed as I jumped up into the air and phased through the walls, getting far away from the island as I could at top speed.

"This is so awesome!" Avilia screamed, her hair whipping behind her and her smile spreading across her face.

"You don't think it's strange or weird or impossible?" I asked.

"Strange, yes it is. Weird, yes but its amazing! Impossible… I guess not anymore!"

I gave a thumb up at her, and then noticed that the ghosts were following us. Picking up speed, I dragged us through an opening construction zone, making the workers panic and run away.

"Get behind me!" I yelled to Avilia.

She jumped behind me as the ghosts drew closer. I took a deep breath of air, and then let my ghostly wail fly. The waves of energy made the ghosts evaporate, and the dirt pile in front of us was blown away into the wind. I ended the wail when I was sure that all the ghosts were gone, and fell to my knees.

Avilia helped me up and looked into my eyes with amazement. "Who knew you were such a colorful person."

I laughed despite my energy depletion, and she laughed as well, making the air around us lighten up.

"Who were they? How are you like this? Why did your jacket change colors?" she asked when we had calmed down.

"I'll explain on the way back. Want me to drop you off at your house?"

"Sure!" she exclaimed.

I took her hand and flew off in the direction she pointed, revealing everything I knew.

XXX

"Wow… that's a long story. Someone's trying to resurrect the dead prematurely and causing ghosts to wake up…"

I arrived at her small brown house on the hill and put her by the front door. She took me into one last hug before letting me go.

"Sure you don't want to stay?" she asked with a small disappointed look.

"I'm sure. I have to get to my parents and tell them what I told you. You've helped me a lot. Thanks."

She still stared at me like I was her last hope, not wanting to let me go. "I sort of envy you a little. You can fly away and go off to different places to easily. I'm stuck here… it's not fair."

I laughed and gave her another reassuring hug. "You're wiser and stronger than you think. I think you should write down what you say. It could mean a lot to someone someday."

"Fine, I will," she said regretfully, but with an understanding smile.

I gave her another smile and flew off in the direction the GPS (Avilia gave it to me) was telling me. I would never forget all she had done for me… and I hoped she wouldn't forget me either. For now, it was time for Danny Fenton to save the world.

XXX

Avilia was in her room, turning on her computer and staring at the screen. 'Write down my ideas?' she thought to herself.

Going to a website to post stories, Avilia started a great story on her beliefs and ideas that were 'dedicated to Danny, a great hero'.

While she wrote, a faint green tracking device in the shape of Danny's logo flashed at the back of her computer.

* * *

><p><em>For I see the light in your eyes, to take me by surprise,<em>

_the trust in you blossoms bright, and I'll take your wisdom through the night. ~Chychy_

Happy Holidays! Merry Christmas, and have a great year with family and friends! Best of wishes,

~Baker


End file.
